Cortney's story

Jules downed the energy drink in three loud gulps, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The neon-blue liquid left a faint stain on her already ink-smeared fingers. "Ugh. Tastes like battery acid and bad decisions," she muttered, crushing the can against her forehead before tossing it toward the trash bin. It hit the rim with a metallic clang and bounced onto Cortney’s neatly arranged stack of textbooks. Cortney shot her a glare, picking up the can between two fingers like it was contaminated. "You’re such a slob." Jules just grinned, swinging her legs off the bed. "And yet, you love me."

Jules stretched, cracking her knuckles as she stood. "Alright, let’s see what this midnight circus is about." She grabbed a battered leather jacket from the back of her chair, shrugging it on with practiced ease. The zipper snagged halfway up, and she cursed under her breath, yanking it free with a metallic scrape. Cortney watched, arms crossed. "You seriously believe this nonsense?" Jules shot her a grin, fishing a crumpled flyer from her pocket. The edges were singed, as if someone had held it too close to a candle. "Believe? No. But when life hands you free entertainment, you RSVP hell yes."Cortney exhaled sharply through her nose as Jules wiggled her eyebrows one last time before heading for the door. The hinges creaked loudly in the quiet dorm, and a draft of cold hallway air slithered in, making the loose flyer on Jules’ desk flutter like something alive. Jules paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame. “Last chance to witness history, McElroy.” Cortney rolled her eyes.

as the door clicked shut behind Jules, leaving her alone in the suddenly too-quiet dorm. She reached for her phone—partly to text her sister about the ridiculous mattress, partly to distract herself from the odd prickle of unease Jules had left behind. The screen lit up with a notification that made her stomach twist: Bryce Melton (11:47 PM): Hey. Saw you moved in today. Still ignoring me? The message glowed accusingly against the dark room. Cortney’s thumb hovered over the screen, the ghost of his last argument still sharp in her memory—You’re too careful, Cort. Always overthinking. , I forgave you for breaking my heart in highschool, but you cant forgive me for calling you out on your now ex drug problem

The message glowed accusingly against the dark room. Cortney’s thumb hovered over the screen, the ghost of his last argument still sharp in her memory—You’re too careful, Cort. Always overthinking. I forgave you for breaking my heart in high school, but you can’t forgive me for calling you out on your now ex-drug problem. Her breath hitched as she pressed her thumb harder against the glass, the pressure just shy of cracking it. The screen dimmed, then went black, swallowing Bryce’s words whole. She exhaled sharply through her nose and tossed the phone onto her bed like it had burned her. Cortney- that idiot, that's not why I am mad, its cause...oh forget it, she then goes to bed, she passes out not long after laying down to sleep, after blocking Bryces number.